Key ring construction



Jan. 27, 1948. w. J. MORSE 2,435,152

KEY RING CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 8, 1944 I? ll 7 9 z 24 ,5 l7 I 26' iNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 27, 1948 KEY RING CONSTRUCTION William J. Morse, Attleboro, Mass, assignor to Morse Andrews 00., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 8, 1944, Serial No. 562,495 6 Claims. (Cl. 70-459) The present invention pertains to the jewelry art, and has particular reference t a novel construction for a key ring.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a key ring construction which lends itself to ornamentation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key ring construction which includes a key passageway for inserting and removing keys, the key passageway being normally positively sealed to prevent accidental release of a key or keys.

A further object is to provide a key ring construction made of a small number of readily manufactured and assembled parts.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed descriptionfollowing, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a key ring embodying the novel construction, as it appears when in use;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof, the parts being in position for insertion of a key or keys;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the cover being shown in section to disclose the arrangement of the operating parts;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cover;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the retainer block;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modified construction; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the modified retainer block therefor,

It has been found desirable to provide a key ring which is adapted for ornamentation and which positively retains the keys in place against accidental loss or removal. To this end, I have devised a key ring construction which utilizes a cover which may be suitably ornamented, and within which the key passageway is normally positioned, thus precluding unintentional release of a key. The parts are specifically designed to be of ruggedconstruction and few in number, in order to permit quantity production and to expedite manufacture and assembly.

Referring to the drawings, the novel key ring l includes a cover H which is preferably made of sheet metal and is of hollow construction, to provide a housing for the operating parts. Seated within the cover is a frame l2, preferably made a, narrow. loop end l3 which is adapted to slidingly fit within the correspondingly shaped opening M at the upper end of the cover, one-side of the frame then extending laterally to pro vide a vertical side [5, a horizontal key bar l6, and a vertical side l1, and the other side similarly spreading laterally to provide a short downwardly extending side [8 in alignment with and spaced from the upper end of the vertical side I! to provide a key passageway l9, The vertical sides of the lower portion of th frame seat in sliding engagement with the inner walls 20, 2| of the cover, whereby the cover guides both the upper loop end and the lower portion of the frame. A cross bar 22 is soldered or secured in any other suitable manner between the wire sides forming the loop end of the frame, see Fig. 3, to serve as an abutment for one end of a tension coil spring 23, the other end of the coil spring being seated in a recess 24 in the upper surface of a retaining block 25. As illustrated in Fig. the retainer block has a horizontal groove 26 extending across one face 21; after the of wire and shaped as shown in Fig. 3, to form parts are assembled as disclosed in Fig. 3 the cover is struck or swaged as indicated by the reference numeral 28 to seat into the roove 26, see Fig. 2, thus locking the key ring parts in asseinbled relation.

The upper portion of the frame loop end forms a, link 29 for attaching a chain or the like, and the key passageway I 9 is normally positioned within the cover. When the upper end of the frame is pressed down, the cover being held in the hand, the frame moves downwardly to expose the key passageway as disclosed in Fig. 2, thus permitting keys to be inserted or removed. The keys normally seat on the horizontal key bar, and the upward movement of the frame resulting from the pressure of the coil spring conceals the key passageway within the cover, thus holding the keys securely without danger of accidental loss.

The novel construction may be changed to accord with different key ring designs. Thus, it

see Fig. '7, has two recesses 31 adapted to slid-- ingly receive the vertical sides 3|, and a central shallow bore or seat 38 to receive the lower end of a tension coil spring 39, the upper end of the spring seating against a cross bar 40 which is secured between the sides 3| below the end loop 30. The cover 4| is provided with an upper opening 42 to slidably receive the end loop 30, and is swaged or struck to seat into the horizontal groove 43, provided sinthe side l lsof *the' retainer block as illustrated'the upper ends-of the tongues 34, 35 thus bein normally housed within the cover until the frame is moved downwardly against the tension of the spring 39, -lIhemodifled construction thus provides a. double'key ring construction.

Although I have described-illustrative specific constructions which have a small number of readily manufactured and assembled parts, it is obvious that the size, shape, and arrangement of the parts may be varied to provide different key ring designs, and that the invention may be api plied by 1 suitable mo dificatiomunders tood z-in-z the vartntopther jewelryzconstruetions such" ascl'asps,

--.huckles, attachinglinksdevicesandtherlike; without departing sfrom' lthexspiriteand the scraper-of stheg-inventionras' defined in the;appendediclaims.

disclaim: 1 1i Inna-key ring; a: cover of-hollow lformatiomga 'twire framerslidably seated-imsaid' cover-and! hav- --ing anuupper 1 lo'iop pportionextending through: the upper end of the cover-:and' a--lo'werikey :retainer -=:section-'extending through th'e-lower' end -cof the cover, one': side :of xsaidrkey retainer 5 section ;h-avzingca key passageway norma'lly positioned within 'sthe icover, QIJCI'OSS: bartsecured between rthesides rof ctheaupp'er loop-portion, la-ret'ainer block-posistionediint the; key retainer 6 section' -and secured to rather-cover and positionedto normallyzs'ealatheskey :pass-ageway; anda 1 spring r device extending be- :tween ithe crossbar and themetainer block,':whe'rethy zdownw'ard -'"movement of 1 the iwire sfr ame acagainst the tension 10f :thersspring: deviceexposes Lther key passageway below'thecover.

22; infcombin'ation; acover'of hollow formation, sa'frame'slidably seated in'sa'id cover .andhavinga lower FUIJBn' 'portion extending below the cover, xonefisideiofsaid open portionlha'ving' a keys-pas- --sageway therethrougnwhichzis :n'ormally' positioned within the cover, a retainervelement se- :cured -to the cover and DOSitiOIIEdiIl saidinpen portion. to normally seal thewkeypassageway; and spring means in said covenbetween saids'frame and :said retainer :element; wherebywdownwar'd smovement'of said framewithinkthecover against thettension' ofthe.spring 'means'exposesrthe. passageway below thezcover.

? 3. In'combination, a coverofi'hollowiformation,

a frame slid-ably-seated ln'sa'idvc0ver and" having -aniupper loop portion extending fromf-the upper :portion of the cover-rand a'lower open loop' porti'on extendingfrom the -lower" portion of the -cover;.:one side :of the: open loop portion' having a key passageway therethrough which is normally ":po'sitio ne'd within .the cover; a" retain'er element iseour ed to :thecover and positioned within the iopen 'lo'op portion and :normally sealing the: key ipassagewaypan abutment'on said upper loop porand" havingtwoflcwer U-ShflPBd -DOIHOHS extend- -ing below the cover with-their free ends extending upwardly and normally housed within the islower portion of the cover, a retainer element securedtosaid cover adjacent the lower end thereof and positioned to seal the free ends of the U- rshapedsportionsgand a spring device within said cover engaging said retainer element and the upper portion of the frame, whereby movement of the.frameeagainst-the tension of the spring device exposes the free ends of the U-shaped portions-below the cover 5. In combination, aicover of hollow formation,

vaiframe seated for! sliding movement the'rein-Z'and havingstwo -:10W8l- U -fshaped portions; extending below the cover with theinfree ends vextending --npwardly rand gnormallychoused within'xthe lower :25 l

portion :or' thezvcover, usaid frameralso .havingz an upper loop portion extending frorhtheupperpor- -tionof the-coverand provided with aispring'abutment, a retainerblock secured within said :cover adj aeentrthellower end thereof and positioned to seal theafree ends of-the U-V-shaped portions,--and alspri'ngrdevice. positioned between-said abutment and-said-retainer' block, wherebymovement of the frame against the tension ofthe springdevice exposes .the free'ends of the U-shaped :portions below the cover.

'6. .In a keyring, a cover' of hollow formation, a wireframe slidahly se'ated'insaid' cover andhaving anrupper zloop: portion extending through the upper: end d the cover and a lower :key retainer section :extending through i the lower end 0f the cover, one side of said key retainersectiorrhaving an upwardly extending key receivingtongueirior- -inallyvextendingi into the'cover; an abutment:'po- :sitioned between the'sides :ofzthe upper'loop portion, a retainer block in the key retainer section and secure-d to the cover and normally=sealingiithe spring --device"extending between the abutment and the retainer block; whereby'downward movement of the wire frame within the -'coveragainst the tension of the spring "device exposes the key :receiving tonguebelovwthe cover.

WILLIAM J. MORSE.

REFERENCES (DR ED The following references are of -re'c'ord in the file "of this patent:

l UNITED S' IA TES PATENTS Number Name Date 24%1515 ,Armstrong... July19,,l881 "855,'530 'TReid. l June.4,-19-07 "905,731 Merrill Deer l, 1908 1,626,987 -Venegas May 3, r1927 

